If your job requires you to chat with clients from different nationalities, studying the language of that country will help to make your work easier. It will create a positive image in the minds of your clients, which they might communicate to your bosses, and may just provide you with the competitive edge in landing that new and elusive contract.

You will no longer require an interpreter to communicate your clients’ requirement to you. This will also save a lot of cost for the organisation for which you are working. The lack of foreign language knowledge puts the English speakers at a disadvantage. In meetings, for example, the people on the other side can discuss things amongst themselves in their own language without the English speakers understanding, and using interpreters slows everything down. In any socialising after the meetings, which may be integral to strengthening relationships, your clients will probably feel more comfortable using their own language rather than English.

Knowledge of foreign languages may also increase your chances of finding a new job, getting a promotion or a transfer overseas, or of going on foreign business trips. Upskilling yourself by learning a new language can give you the upper hand in job selection and you may find yourself working in a foreign country, living the dream….